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ACROSS
1 Mad non-scientist lacking method (12)
10 Getting up to follow news service at start of press briefing (9)
11 A pair of climatologists acknowledge someone with big shoes to fill (5)
12 Nobleman to read characters in front of this clue and above this puzzle, one after the other (5)
13 Gang member, at wit’s end, captivated by certain books of the Bible (9)
14 Class for one learning macramé? (4)
15 Bond fanatics, having run with it (10)
19 California diatribes involving Republicans: “They have deep pockets” (5,5)
21 Agitate in prison (4)
24 Warsaw native heads west, amid seven tangled wrappers (9)
26 Metropolitan headdress is timeless (5)
27 Flip conclusion of terrific woman (5)
28 Proclaims, “Coulter’s a lightweight on the inside” (9)
29 A challenge for juniors is clique’s fulfillment (12)
DOWN
2 Compose rising melody for sea power (7)
3 Clothed in taffeta, I posed opposite 8 (6)
4 European southwest is slow, at first (5)
5 Dress a piece of eggplant in animal fat and sweet vegetable (5,4)
6 Commercial in gym supports poor case for stunt (8)
7 Excessive sensitivity about mantra (3,4)
8 Sleep-inducing acorn cooked to overcome spasm (8)
9 Finishes off homework in little bookie joint (4)
16 Comes back to harvest fruit (9)
17 Slithering serpents’ sass (8)
18 Frequently last talent—so sad (3,5)
20 On reflection, we invested originally in guns and pans sometimes (7)
22 Early explorer of America raised company’s killer crop (7)
23 Late summer breeze after a reversal of direction (6)
24 Engages oddly with roe (4)
25 Leaders of Saudi Arabia’s neighbor are around _____! (5)
The editor offers his profuse apologies for the erroneous enumeration of clue 28 (which is one word, not two) in Puzzle No. 3455 in the print edition and as previously posted here.
SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3455
ACROSS 1 B + APT + IS + M 5 JU[n]G + BA(N)D 9 L[o]UNGE 10 P(A)KIS + TAN + I (skip anag.) 11 HAN + DOVER 12 phonetic hidden 14 PLUM[e] 15 HY(DROP)LANE (&lit.) 18 anag. (&lit.) 19 hidden 22 LO + VEIN 24 OR(DNA)NCE (crone anag.) 26 [c]REW + R(IT)ING 27 rev. hidden 28 M + AL(CO)L + M 29 SC(AL)ENE
DOWN 1 “hell bop” spoonerism 2 PEN + INS(U)LA (slain anag.) 3 ICE + BOX 4 anag. 5 JO(K)E 6 GA’S + PUMPS 7 A + TALL 8 D(WIND)LE (led anag.) 13 ARB(I)T + RAGES (brat anag.) 16 AD + VAN + T + AGE 17 anag. 18 PIL[l] + GRIM 20 STEP ON + E (rev.) 21 anag. 23 VOW + EL 25 2 defs.
Joshua Kosman and Henri PicciottoJoshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto are The Nation’s puzzlers. To read more about Kosman, click here. To read more about Picciotto, click here. Kosman and Picciotto explain what they’re up to in “Solving The Nation’s Cryptic Crosswords” (also available as a PDF). Check out The Nation’s Current Issue page each week for the latest puzzle.